Playing the game: a Bourdieuian perspective of pre-service inquiry teaching

Abstract

At the heart of contemporary teaching reform initiatives is a pedagogy based around inquiry. In this paper, we explore inquiry through the efforts of one pre-service teacher, Toni, during her practicum experience in a secondary mathematics classroom. We look at the ways in which she negotiates her practice amid intersecting stories of traditional and reform movements. Drawing on aspects of Bourdieu’s social field theory, we highlight not only the tensions between two different “fields,” but also within Toni herself in her efforts to identify and become proficient with inquiry pedagogy.

Keywords:

• teacher education
• pre-service teachers
• mathematics field experience
• secondary school
• Bourdieu’s social field theory
• inquiry pedagogy